Event #66: $50,000 Poker Players Championship Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-24-2025 18:14 UTC-8

Ausmus, Arieh Among Big Stacks

Connor Richards

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,000-4,000, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,000/3,000 Ante, 1,000-2,000 Blinds

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeremy Ausmus	460,000 166,000	166,000

Josh Arieh	450,000 60,000	60,000

David Benyamine	420,000 13,000	13,000

Chris Hunichen	400,000 60,000	60,000

Esther Taylor	300,000 5,000	5,000

Chino Rheem	260,000 70,000	70,000
Alex Livingston	240,000 100,000	100,000

Phil Ivey	210,000 10,000	10,000

Dario Sammartino	190,000 115,000	115,000
Matthew Ashton	165,000 25,000	25,000

Brian Rast	160,000 9,500	9,500

Michael Rocco	125,000 5,000	5,000

Nacho Barbero	20,000 190,000	190,000

06-24-2025 18:14 UTC-8

Valeo, Mizrachi Finally Give Up to Blom

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David Salituro

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,000-4,000, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,000/3,000 Ante, 1,000-2,000 Blinds

Stud Hi-Lo

Viktor Blom: XxXx/J♣J♦2♠4♦/Xx
Michael Mizrachi: XxXx/9♠5♣8♥10♦/Xx
Matthew Valeo: XxXx/2♥4♠9♣K♥/Xx

Three-handed on fourth street, Viktor Blom called and Matthew Valeo and Michael Mizrachi called.

Blom continued betting on each street as Valeo and Mizrachi called down to seventh. Blom then bet again on seventh, and this time both opponents tossed their cards away.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Mizrachi	540,000 14,000	14,000

Matthew Valeo	280,000

Viktor Blom	130,000 90,000	90,000

Tags: Matthew Valeo Michael Mizrachi Viktor Blom

06-24-2025 18:27 UTC-8

Blom and Mizrachi Chop One

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Brett Slezak

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,000-4,000, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,000/3,000 Ante, 1,000-2,000 Blinds

Stud Hi-Lo

Christian Roberts: XxXx / 8♥6♣5♣6♦ / Xx
Michael Mizrachi: J♥5♦4♠ / A♣9♣7♣6♥
Viktor Blom: A♦K♦J♦ / 2♥10♦10♣J♠
Eric Persson: XxXx / J♣7♠A♥9♦ / Xx - folded on seventh street

Persson limped, Roberts limped, Mizrachi compelted, Blom called from the bring-in, and the others called.

Fourth and fifth checked through before Roberts bet on sixth when checked to, and all three opponents put in the call.

On seventh, everyone checked to Mizrachi who bet, Blom called, Persson folded, and Roberts called. Mizrachi had a seven low for half and Blom had two pair, jacks and tens, for the high as Roberts mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Mizrachi	550,000 10,000	10,000

Christian Roberts	270,000 124,500	124,500

Eric Persson	215,000 45,000	45,000
Viktor Blom	145,000 15,000	15,000

Tags: Christian Roberts Eric Persson Michael Mizrachi Viktor Blom

06-24-2025 18:27 UTC-8

Benyamine Draws to an Eight in Three-Way Pot

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David Salituro

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,000-4,000, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,000/3,000 Ante, 1,000-2,000 Blinds

2-7 Triple Draw

Brian Yoon raised under the gun, David Benyamine raised in the hijack, and both Dzmitry Urbanovich in the big blind and Yoon called.

Urbanovich and Benyamine drew one, while Yoon took two. Benyamine then bet and Urbanovich raised. Yoon called, while Benyamine also called.

Urbanovich and Benyamine again drew one, and Yoon took two. Urbanovich bet again and both opponents called.

Urbanovich stood pat, Yoon drew two more, while Benyamine took one. Action checked around to Benyamine who bet, and only Urbanovich called.

Benyamine showed 8x5x4x3x2x and Urbanovich mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Benyamine	460,000 40,000	40,000

Dzmitry Urbanovich	270,000 30,000	30,000
Brian Yoon	60,000 195,000	195,000

Tags: Brian Yoon David Benyamine Dzmitry Urbanovich

06-24-2025 18:33 UTC-8

Time For Another Edition of "What's Bothering You Today, Allen"

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David Salituro

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,000-4,000, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,000/3,000 Ante, 1,000-2,000 Blinds

Limit 2-7 Triple Draw

Allen Kessler was standing by the rail observing the action, and Daniel Negreanu took out his camera to ask the now-famous question, "What's bothering you today, Allen?"

"I only sold four percent of my action for this tournament. The last time I played this tournament, I made the final table and I decided never again," Kessler said.

"I thought you were rich. Look at all these bets. This tournament was made for you," Negreanu replied, coaxing Kessler into entering.

Meanwhile, Christian Roberts had bet from the small blind and Michael Mizrachi and Matthew Valeo both called.

Mizrachi bet from under the gun after the last draw and Valeo called, while Roberts then raised. Only Mizrachi called and Roberts showed 8x7x4x3x2x, but Mizrachi had 8x5x4x3x2x to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Mizrachi	620,000 70,000	70,000

Matthew Valeo	250,000 30,000	30,000

Christian Roberts	210,000 60,000	60,000

Tags: Christian Roberts Matthew Valeo Michael Mizrachi

06-24-2025 18:34 UTC-8

Break

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Brett Slezak

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,000-4,000, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,000/3,000 Ante, 1,000-2,000 Blinds

The remaining players are going on a 15-minute break.

Play resumes in Level 4 with big bet blinds of 1,000/2,500 and limits of 5,000/10,000.

06-24-2025 18:34 UTC-8

The Dream Brad Owen Never Knew He Had

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Kasey Taormino

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,000-4,000, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,000/3,000 Ante, 1,000-2,000 Blinds

https://twitter.com/PokerNews/status/1937700375391322419

Level: 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

06-24-2025 18:54 UTC-8

Updated Chip Counts After Third Break

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

Player	Chips	Progress
Jon Kyte	594,500 99,500	99,500
Mike Gorodinsky	580,000

Matt Glantz	543,000 17,000	17,000

Justin Liberto	540,000 200,000	200,000

Josh Arieh	515,000 65,000	65,000

David Benyamine	509,500 49,500	49,500

Jeremy Ausmus	504,000 44,000	44,000

Ali Eslami	497,500 139,500	139,500

Phil Hui	485,000 185,000	185,000

Christopher Vitch	468,000 116,000	116,000

Chris Hunichen	463,000 63,000	63,000

Freddy Deeb	450,000 75,000	75,000

John Hennigan	385,000 45,000	45,000

Erick Lindgren	373,000 17,000	17,000

Brad Owen	370,000 65,000	65,000

Dzmitry Urbanovich	369,000 99,000	99,000
Bruno Portaro	367,500 7,500	7,500
Shaun Deeb	360,000 60,000	60,000

Daniel Negreanu	359,500 25,500	25,500

Kristopher Tong	352,500 52,500	52,500

Dan Smith	352,000 79,000	79,000

Chino Rheem	350,000 90,000	90,000
Maxx Coleman	350,000 90,000	90,000

Kevin Gerhart	347,000 33,000	33,000

Esther Taylor	345,000 45,000	45,000

Read full

06-24-2025 18:57 UTC-8

Ivey Pots the Turn

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Brett Slezak

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

Erick Lindgren opened the hijack to 5,000 and was called by John Hennigan on the button, Aaron Katz in the small blind, and Phil Ivey in the big blind.

On the 10♥8♣3♥ flop, the action checked to Hennigan who bet 8,000. Katz folded and Ivey called before Lindgren potted to 54,500. Hennigan snap folded and Ivey eventually put in the call.

The turn brought the 7♦. Ivey took some time before he announced pot for 140,500, the majority of his remaining chips, and Lindgren laid it down after a minute's tank.